Heidi-Ann kept putting it off. Despite countless recommendations, the Napier teacher found every excuse not to apply for BLAKE Inspire.
Today, she has one regret; “Not applying sooner.”
The July participant now knows exactly what she was missing.
In the Q&A below, Heidi-Ann Phillips explains how the programme didn’t just change her teaching, it helped her find her spark again.
How has the week changed your approach to your teaching?
I used to use environmental education as a vehicle for teaching the fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy, weaving in all the necessary curriculum links. I likened it to hiding lots of vegetables in a bolognaise. But, I found myself stuck at the beginning of this year, trying to keep afloat of all the new curriculum changes and demands. BLAKE Inspire for Teachers really helped me rekindle my passion for environmental education and confidence in myself as an educator to once again use our environment as a way to teach important life skills alongside those of literacy and numeracy. I have found my spark again.
What new strategies did you learn that you’re excited to try with your students?
I’m really looking forward to using iNaturalist with my students: having them slow down and notice the small detail and interconnectedness of our environment through what they see around them. Through this, they’ll be able to create a biodiversity map of our school and local community, painting a clear picture of our current situation rather than any guess work. To repeat this process each year, and track our progress as students implement changes to increase biodiversity will be an important part of our journey.
What was the most valuable takeaway from BLAKE inspire that you have already started implementing in the classroom?
For me, it was a personal highlight to finally meet Steve Hathaway, after using Young Ocean Explorers’ (YOE) resources in my classroom for years. I really appreciated hearing the story of how YOE came about, and was deeply moved by Steve’s visible heartache for the decline of our marine environment in just a short timespan. In term two, our kura had a school-wide focus around our local rocky shore. After being exposed to so many more resources and information during my week at BLAKE, I began to share some of what I had learned with my 30 environmental leaders during their weekly lunchtime sessions. I started with the first core YOE session and continued by creating our own mini sea creature figures using clay, as we had done in our art session at BLAKE. The interest and enthusiasm from these students continued to grow, and staff members were repeatedly telling me all about the information and statistics their students had shared with them after these sessions. To open this up to more students, I had a lunchtime viewing of the documentary, Ocean, which 55 senior students attended and watched. Our senior team of 94 students are now all writing persuasive letters to Christopher Luxon, as part of the Young Ocean Explorers’ 21 Day Challenge, persuading our government to do more to protect our moana.
How do you think your students will benefit from what you learned during BLAKE Inspire?
I think my students will really benefit from the rekindled passion for environmental education that I have gained through BLAKE Inspire. I have seen for myself how powerful it is when someone shares their passion with others, so it is my hope that the enthusiasm I have rediscovered will be contagious: like a moth to a flame. It’s about helping tamariki feel a deeper connection and responsibility for the world around them, and empowering them to become kaitiaki in caring for it.
What encouragement would you give to any colleagues considering applying for BLAKE Inspire?
I put off applying for BLAKE Inspire for such a long time. The age-old, “It’s a whole week out of my school holidays” being my main excuse. People had recommended it to me time and time again, but it wasn’t until I finally made the decision for myself to apply that I realised what I had been missing out on. My only regret is not applying sooner.
The week is so much more than professional development. It is one of those incredibly rare opportunities that both fills your cup and challenges you to think bigger. BLAKE Inspire is absolutely worth saying yes to.
What surprised you most about the content or approach used in this week?
I was incredibly surprised by the sheer access we had to experts in their fields – those like Ruud Kleinpaste, Sally Carson, Steve Hathaway, Te Kahuratai Moko-Painting, Nava Fedaeff, and Frazer Dale. To be able to chat to them in person, at the venue or on the bus, was just such a rich learning experience and an opportunity that doesn’t come around often.
In 2025, BLAKE Inspire for Teachers has empowered another 90 kaiako, and is generating a groundswell of positive responses. This programme is not simply professional development. It’s an experience which is redefining how educators think, sparking continuous growth, and rippling outward into lasting change.
